Making Babies with Punnett Squares

Grade 7, 30-45min

In the BabyMaker activity, students begin by identifying their own genetic traits, answering a series of questions about their facial features. As they input their phenotype, an animated cartoon representation of themselves as a baby is created. Students then randomly generate a second baby to “cross” with, and proceed to create new generations of babies by filling in Punnett Squares and by reading probabilities of expressed traits from Punnett Squares that are filled in for them. If they make a mistake, their babies might be missing a body part! This activity was heavily inspired by a paper-based activity from Cheryl Massengale.

Photo of BabyMaker app being used in a classroom

Topics addressed

Students will be able to

Materials

Prep

This activity assumes your students have already been taught how to fill out and read Punnett Squares – it is a practice tool, not a teach-for-the-first-time tool.

Suggested lesson breakdown

Next Generation science standards

Common Core standards